New poultry owners often wonder how to get their hens to lay in the nesting boxes. This question usually occurs only once their girls have just started to lay.

There are some good ways to help guide them.

BUT before I answer that...

So why shouldn't the hens lay anywhere they want?

Serious egg hunt - are the girls even laying?

Overlooking a new place one of the hens has started laying = rotten eggs

Eggs laid on the ground are more likely to either be stepped on, covered over with flooring materials or become food for predators.

Dirty eggs are more prone to salmonella, such as being laid in their poo under roosting rails.

Higher breakage rate = egg eating problem

Best ways to get hens to use their nesting boxes

Do NOT use the same materials on the floor inside of the nesting boxes.Make sure that the nests are distinctive and inviting.(It is not always necessary to have flooring materials if the hens are free-ranging all day - save $$)

Place a wooden or plastic egg in each nesting box - they will want to sit on it. For training ONLY.

Make the nesting box is private. Curtains or a dark, draft free spot near the back of the shed are the best locations.

If you see your girls trying to lay somewhere else, pick her up and place her in a nesting box, as training.

Make sure that they nesting boxes are ready from the first day before they start laying. Their exploration time is important.

​TOP TIPS for Nesting Box care

Use only these materials:- Chopped straw- Wood shavings- Hemp

Avoid these materials:- Whole straw - hollow materials create spaces for mites and lice to hide in.- Sugar can mulch - the dust can cause respiratory issues in some chickens- Newspaper - it is not absorbent or soft enough to prevent egg breakage

Put a thick amount of nesting materials in each box to prevent egg breakage.

Place a piece of vinyl/lino in the bottom of each box for easy cleaning, especially if an egg does break.

Dust each nesting box with Pestene or Diatomaceous Earth (DE) BENEATH the materials to deter lice and mites.

Clean out nesting materials on a regular basis - refresh once a season or half yearly.

VERY IMPORTANT: Please do NOT let your hens SLEEP over night in their boxes - train them to perch at night.The reason is because they poo throughout the night and are more susceptible to contracting lice and mites.

​Australian winters are very different to the northern hemisphere, so our preparations and activities can be a little different due to the lack of snow in most parts of the country. There is always buying, selling and ordering to do, but here are a list to help get you on track for the rest of the year!

​#1 thing you DON’T need: Heaters in the coopI’m saving you money already!

Here are my TOP 5 winter chores​

Straw - bales and chopped

​Chickens can regulate their own heat with the fluffing up and the contracting of their feathers. So we only need to focus on their feet, especially feathered leg varieties as they are more susceptible to the cold when their leg feathers are wet for a long period of time. Bantam poultry need the most care.

Give them a full bale of straw to jump up onto. Place in a semi-sheltered area, such as under a covered run, shed easement, inside a large walk-in coop, tree or trampoline.​A bale of straw provides:

relief from the muddy wet conditions

somewhere to dry out

height interest

wind break

something to peck at, especially when the bugs move into the bale

Chopped straw or sugar can mulch is great for reducing the muddy conditions, especially in high traffic areas into the coop. This may need topping up throughout the winter, but will be worthwhile.

Do you need to add extra straw to the roosting area in a small coop?No, in most circumstances it can be a waste of money and increase the risk of lice and mites. However, these pests are less active during the cold months. So it’s really up to you, but it’s not necessary. Save yourself a few dollars.​Some chickens loves to perch outside rather than in a cozy coop – they are so resilient.​

Clean out the nesting boxes

​Refresh the nesting box materials before the girls start to lay again just after the winter solstice.​Sweep out the spiders.

Put down Pestene or Diatomaceous Earth on the bottom of each box BEFORE adding fresh nesting box materials on top (wood shavings, hemp, chopped straw, etc.). These powders will help to keep lice and mites at bay.​

Buy/Sell/Giveaway Roosters

May, June, July & August are the big months for cockerel/rooster sales in Australia.

The availability of hens is much lower during this period due to last year’s breeding season now coming into maturity.

Not all roosters are ideal for breeding with, so know your breed standards well before buying/selling to avoid disappointment. Breed standards are available through Poultry Breed Clubs. (Check out the directories in Australasian Poultry Magazine)​Please consult your local council for restrictions on roosters in your area before buying.​Many councils in Australia do not permit roosters due to the noise.​

Pre-Order Fertilised Eggs

Wanting to hatch your own chicks this year?

July is usually the month breeders ask for pre-orders on their fertilised poultry eggs as it comes into the hatching season.

After the winter solstice hens begin to lay again if they stopped over autumn/winter. Egg laying tends to resume by mid-July, even though this is the very middle of winter.​Fertile eggs are posted out anywhere from August to December, on average.

This will also prompt you to do a few more things such as ordering heat tables/lamps and brooders, chick starter feed and vaccinations from your vet. (www.brookfieldpoultryequipment.com)

Set up a location for the broody mother to hatch or find a location for incubator hatching and brooding until 8 weeks of age.

Author

You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl. As an ex-Barossa gal now living in suburban Adelaide, South Australia, Janine Zschech is not only a serious chicken lady but a genuine advocate for self-sufficiency and education of children to the knowledge of gardening and animal rearing. Skills for life!